Service tray



Nov. 21, 1961 Original Filed April 13, 1959 F. A. WENZEL SERVICE TRAY 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. FkEoEe/az A. IMF/v25;

rZlZnk-M$m A r Toe/vs?) Unite .11? tates atent 3,009,623 SERVICE TRAYFrederick A. Wenzel, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to St. Regis Pa erCompany, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original applicationApr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 806,179. Divided and this application Sept. 20,1960, S81. No.

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-28) This invention relates to improvements in aservice tray of the type used for carrying food and beverages from aroadside stand, or the like, to a patron in an automobile, etc.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.806.179, filed April 13, 1959.

Such cartons must be made very inexpensively and are intended to bediscarded after a single instance of use. Accordingly, it isconventional to make such trays out of paperboard. However, even in apaperboard tray, it is desirable that the tray be sufliciently sturdy towithstand pressures tending to deform it and to provide in the trayseveral compartments variously adapted to receive and support beveragecontainers, receptacles for food items such as sandwiches, French friedpotatoes, etc. Thus the preferred form of the tray will assume athree-dimensional configuration having pockets for the reception ofcontainers for beverages and food items, etc.

To avoid having to store and ship the trays in their relatively bulkythree-dimensional form, the trays are adapted to be shipped to the fooddispensing establishment in collapsed form and in such condition thatthey may be readily erected into their three-dimensional form for rapidhandling by food dispensing personnel.

It is the object of the present invention to provide paperboard trayswhich may be readily erected from collapsed form and which, whenerected, will assume an adequately rigid configuration for the propersupport of containers for beverage and food items for the periodrequired for such items to be consumed, whereafter the tray may bediscarded.

This application discloses two different embodiments of trays embodyingthe present invention in which the collapsed tray is prepared forservice simply by erecting it along score lines and folding inwardlycompartmentforming flaps which come into bracing relationship with wallpanels of the tray, thus to hold the tray in erected position. Theforegoing steps are very simple and may be readily performed withoutdamage to the tray and will maintain the tray in a three-dimensionalform until the tray has served its purpose.

In one form of the invention, the folded flaps interlock into aperturesor notches formed in the corners between side and bottom panels for thetray. In another form of the invention the flaps interlock with andstraddie a central partition which separates various storagecompartments. In both instances the flaps brace the carton laterally andinterlock with a wall member which is transverse to the bottom of thetray.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear fromthe following disclosure in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray of FIG. 1 in the course ofshifting the tray from collapsed to erected position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 ofFIG. 1.

3,009,623 Patented Nov. 21, 1961 FIG. 4 is a developed plan of the blankfrom which the tray of FIG. 1 is fabricated.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified tray embodying the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the tray of FIG. 5 during the course ofshifting it from collapsed to erected position.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross section taken along the line 7-7 of FIG.5.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary developed plan of the blank from which the trayof FIG. 5 is fabricated.

The tray shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 is made from the paperboard blankshown in FIG. 4 and which com prises a central top panel 10 foldablyconnected on score lines 14 to side wall panels 11 which, in turn, arefold ably connected on score lines 13 to bottom wall panels 12. Scorelines 14 .are completely out through at 15 between the transverse scorelines 17 which define fold lines for the bracing flaps 18. The top panel10 is cut out at 16 to provide beverage container receiving apertures ofconventional outline.

The bracing flaps 18 are further defined by cut lines 22 which intersectthe cut lines 15. Note that cut lines 15 and 22 deviate obliquely at 19,26 to form in each flap 18 a pair of corner tongue portions 23 which areoffset or project obliquely from the otherwise rectangular outline ofthe flaps 18.

The space 24 between cut lines 22 is waste. Waste is also removed fromthe blank at the intersection of the panels 11, 12 to form notches oropenings 26 which span across the score lines 13. Note that cut lines 27which partially define the notches 26 are substantially aligned with thescore lines 17 upon which the bracing flaps 18 will ultimately fold.

As is clear from FIGS. 1 and 2, the blank is readily folded on the scorelines 13, 14, to form a tube in which the bottom panels 12 overlapslightly to form a glue lap 21.

The tube will ordinarily be shipped and stored in collapsed form. Toprepare the blank for use as a service tray, it is erected through itssemi-open condition shown in FIG. 2 to its f-ully open position shown inFIG. '1 in which top and bottom panels 1t 12 come into parallel spacedrelation. In the course of this movement, the

flaps 18 are folded about score lines 17 from the position thereof shownin FIG. 2 in which the flaps are substantially co-planar with the toppanel it) to a position shown in FIG. 1 in which the flaps 18 aresubstantially at right angles to the top panel 10 to span between thespaced top and bottom panels.

When thus positioned, the projecting or offset tongues 23 at the cornersof the flaps 18 come into alignment with the cut lines 27 on side panels11 of the tray. Because of their projection, both laterally beyond sidepanel 11 and downwardly beyond bottom panel 12, the tongues 23 will snapinto the notches 26 and behind the edge of the side and bottom panelsdefined by the out line 27,

Thus the flaps 18 are releasably interlocked from springing resilientlyback to their position shown in FIG. 2. Moreover, the edge margins 30 ofthe flaps, will abut the portion of the wall panels 11 interveningbetween the notches 26 and the score line 14 to brace the tray laterallyagainst collapse. The wall panels 11 brace the tray longitudinally andthe infolded flaps l8 brace the tray laterally. Such lateral rocking ofthe tray as may occur will not release the tongues 23 from interlockedposition because the tongues overlap the cut or notched margins of boththe side and bottom panels.

In FIGS. 5 through 8, I show a somewhat larger tray having four beveragecompartments instead of the two beverage compartments shown in theembodiment of the invention in FIGS. 1 through 4. Because of the greaterlateral extent of the tray of FIGS. 5 through 8, I have adopted asomewhat different specific structure which provides a somewhat morerigid bracing arrangement than in the narrower tray of FIGS. 1 through4.

The blank for this embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 8. Thereis a relative central top panel 33 having beverage container receivingwaste apertures 34 of generally conventional shape. The central toppanel 33 is connected on score lines 35 to side wall panels 36, whichare, in turn, connected on score lines 37 to the bottom wall panels 38,which, when folded, will overlap to provide the glue lap 39 shown inFIGS. 5 and 6.

In this embodiment of the invention an additional or intermediate wallpanel 42 is provided at the end of one of the bottom panels 38 and thiswall panel 42 is notched out centrally at 43. The otherwise freemarginal portions of notched wall panel 42 are further provided withglue lap flaps 44 which connect with the undersurface of the top panel33, as best shown in FIG. 5.

As in the previously described embodiment of the invention, top panel 33is provided with transverse score lines 45 which define hinges uponwhich the bracing flaps 46 will pivot. Note that the cut lines 47 in thepartition panel 42 substantially align with the score lines 45' in thetop panel.

Flaps 46 are further defined by cut lines 48, 49 and a waste space 50between the cut lines 48. I also slit the flaps 46 along the cut lines53 and oblique cut lines 54 which diverge from the end of slit 53 toprovide notches 55 which help guide the slit 53 into frictionalinterlocking engagement with an obliquely offset strut portion 56 of thepartition walls 42. Struts 56 are left in the partition portions 42between cut lines 57 which are obliquely related to cut lines 47aforesaid.

The blank of FIG. 8 is first formed into a collapsed tube adapted forconvenient transport and storage. The tray may be readily erectedthrough its FIG. 6 to its FIG. 5 position and the flaps 46 pivotedinwardly and downwardly about score lines 45 to the position thereofshown in FIGS. 5 and 7 in which the end margins 58 thereof abut the sidepanels 36 of the tray.

In the course of swinging the flaps 46 between their positionsrespectively shown in FIGS. 6 and 5, the slits 53 releasably andfrictionally interlock with the offset strut portions 56 of thepartition wall panels 42. Flap portions at opposite sides of the slit 53straddle the strut. The resilient interlock thus effected will precluderelease of the flaps 46 unless they are forcibly disengaged from thestruts 56.

Not only do the struts 56 provide an interlock with the flaps, but themargins of the flaps 46 along the out line 53 laterally abut strut 56 tofurther brace the tray against collapse.

Partitions 42 intervene between beverage container pockets defined byopenings 34 and further help to brace the tray longitudinally.

The tray of FIGS. 5 through 8 is inherently somewhat sturdier than thetray of FIGS. 1 through 4, because it is not necessary to notch the sideor bottom walls thereof as is the case in the tray shown in FIGS. 1through 4. Accordingly, the tray of FIGS. 5 through 8 is better adaptedfor use in the larger sizes which are subject to greater loads andincreased rocking stresses. In both tray embodiments, however, thebracing flaps laterally abut vertical wall panels and the flapsinterlock with vertical wall panels.

I claim:

1. A blank for a compartmented service tray of the character describedand comprising a plurality of adjacent panels connected on score lines,a central one of said panels comprising a top for the tray, panelsconnected to said top panel constituting side walls of the tray andendmost panels connected to the panels last mentioned and togethercomprising a bottom panel for the tray, said side and bottom panelsbeing provided with apertures which span across the score linesconnecting said panels, said top panel being provided with substantiallyrectangular outline flaps connected thereto on transverse score lines,said flaps having corner togues projecting obliquely beyond the flapoutline at the free corners thereof, said transverse score lines beingsubstantially aligned with side margins of said bottom and side wallpanels about said apertures whereby to provide interlocking edges in thebottom and side wall panels against which respective tongues abut in theerected panel.

2. A compartmented service tray adapted to be readily erected fromcollapsed condition, said tray having top and bottom panels spaced apartwhen the tray is erected and wall panels transverse to said top andbottom panels when the tray is erected, said top panel having flapstransverse to said wall panels and connected to said top panel on scorelines on which said flaps fold to span between the top and bottom panel,said flaps having portions in endwise abutment with said wall panels tobrace the erected tray laterally, said wall panels comprising two sidewalls, each intersecting the bottom panel at a corner, said cornershaving apertures spanning thereacross substantially in line with theflap when it is in its bracing position, said flap having obliquelyprojecting tongue portions, each projecting beyond the plane of a sidewall panel and downwardly beyond the plane of the bottom panel of theerected tray to interlock both with a side wall and the bottom panelthereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

